


Rayllum Valentine's Week 2021

by ForeverAnimated92



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Rayllum Valentine Week, Romance, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:48:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29448792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForeverAnimated92/pseuds/ForeverAnimated92
Summary: From high school AUs to post-canon fluff. A collection of Rayllum-centric oneshots in honor of Valentine's Day. #RayllumValentinesWeek
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 31





	Rayllum Valentine's Week 2021

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum wants to ask Claudia to the Valentine's Day dance. Rayla isn't too sure how she feels about this.  
> High School AU fluff complete with jealousy, love realizations, italicized ohs, and awkward teenage kisses.

“I’m going to ask Claudia to the Valentine’s Day dance this year!”

Rayla blinked. She was just about to take a bite of her barely edible cafeteria food when her friend had made his sudden announcement.

She and Callum were sitting at their usual lunch table - just the two of them, same as it had been since freshman year. They were definitely an unlikely duo. She was a star athlete, involved in almost every single team sport Katolis High offered, and he was a quiet, dorky artist. Yet somehow, their friendship just worked. They clicked instantly upon meeting and had been pretty much inseparable ever since.

“I’m sorry. Run that by me again.” Rayla stared across the table at Callum, who had been looking at her expectantly, waiting for her response. She was unsure if she had heard him correctly over the noise of the cafeteria. And even if she had, it was still a very strange thing to bring up unprompted.

Callum must have realized this. “I want to ask Claudia to the Valentine’s Day dance,” he repeated, “Sorry if that’s random. I’ve just been thinking about doing it for awhile, and … well, what do you think?”

So she _had_ heard him correctly. He was just doing his usual awkward Callum thing and blurting out the first thing that came to his mind.

Rayla shrugged, feigning nonchalance. She really didn’t like Claudia much at all, though she couldn’t exactly put her finger on why. When Rayla transferred in during freshman year, Callum was the one who introduced them. Claudia was one grade above them both, but he had known her since they were children. It was obvious from the very beginning that her friend had a pretty big crush on the raven-haired teen. 

She was nice enough, Rayla supposed. Bubbly, enthusiastic, and even a bit quirky. 

It’s just that there was … something off about her.

“Doesn’t matter to me,” Rayla answered, suddenly becoming very interested in her spaghetti. She twirled her fork around the overcooked noodles that had barely been covered in cheap grocery store pasta sauce. “You can do what you want.”

“Well, I know, but …” Callum fidgeted in his seat. “You think I have a chance?”

Rayla glanced back up at Callum. His expressive green eyes were full of unease, and she could tell that he was in desperate need of encouragement. 

She sighed, deciding to put her dislike of Claudia aside for a moment.

“Of course you do,” Rayla reassured, putting her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “You’re a really nice person, Callum. And you guys have known each other for a while now. I’d say you’ve got a pretty good shot.”

Callum brightened. “Thanks Rayla. That makes me feel a lot better. I’m still nervous about asking her though,” he admitted.

“What? Are you looking for advice?” Rayla joked.

Callum shrunk in his seat. “I mean, maybe? It wouldn’t hurt.”

Rayla smiled in spite of herself. What a big, dumb, adorable goof.

Adorable? Wait, where’d that come from? Rayla shook the thought out of her head.

“Okay,” She said with a sigh, “I know this is stupid and totally cliche, but just be yourself. Just go up and ask her politely. And don’t get too upset if she says no.”

“Oh,” Callum said quietly.

“Not that she will,” Rayla quickly added. She hated seeing her best friend look so discouraged. “She probably won’t. Or at the very least, she’ll be nice about it. But I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

Callum smiled. “Thanks, Rayla,” he said, “That’s what I needed to hear.”

Rayla smirked, taking a bite of her food. “I know. I do have my moments, don’t I?”

“So, are you going? To the dance, I mean.”

Rayla shook her head. “Nah. I’ll probably just stay home and watch a couple of those sappy Valentine’s Day made-for-tv chick flicks and have a riffing party with myself.”

Callum laughed. “Okay, for real, that actually sounds like fun.”

“Oh, it is. Much better than some lame high school dance anyway,” she teased.

“Oh, excuuuse me!” Callum snarked, “I’m sorry my Valentine’s Day plans aren’t as sophisticated as your chick flick marathon for one.”

Rayla rolled her eyes. “Dork.” Smiling, she gave him a playful shove.

\---

The rest of the school day passed by uneventfully. Before long, the final bell of the day had rang, and Rayla had shuffled off to the gym for basketball practice. She had just begun her warm-up stretches when Callum burst through the doors. He bounded over to Rayla, who was in the middle of a downward stretch.

“She said yes! Claudia said she’d love to go with me!”

“That’s great, Callum.” Rayla murmured, suddenly feeling an odd twinge of a negative emotion that she couldn’t identify. She twisted her lips into a smile and, upon finishing her stretch, lifted up to meet Callum’s face. “I’m happy for you,” She added, trying very hard to sound as genuine as possible.

If she wasn’t coming across as sincere, Callum didn’t seem to notice. He was grinning ear to ear, still ecstatic about his success. “Thanks for the advice, by the way! It totally helped.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Rayla nodded carefully. There was that strange feeling again. She tried to put it aside. “Well, I’ve got practice starting any moment now. I’ll text you later, okay?”

“Sounds great!” Callum chirped. “Then I can tell you all about it!”

 _Great, just what I want to hear._ Rayla thought bitterly.

She didn’t get a chance to respond, as Callum was already bounding away. “Talk to ya later, Rayla!”

Once he was out of view, Rayla slumped down unto one of the nearby bleachers. She knew she should be happy for her friend. He had been smitten with Claudia for years, and now had finally worked up enough courage to ask her out. This was a big step for him, a show of confidence that he didn’t normally display. And he was so happy that she had said yes.

So why wasn’t _she_?

Shaking her head, Rayla stood up and tried to get her mind and body ready for practice. She just needed to get a drink to wet her parched lips. 

She walked over to the water fountain and pressed the lever. Nothing. Rayla pressed it again. Still nothing.

“Yeah, that’s not working,” One of her teammates called out from across the gym.

Rayla muttered a curse under her breath. Great. She’d have to go get her water bottle from her locker, which was almost all the way across the building.

She left the gym and rounded the corner in a quick jog, hoping she could grab her bottle and get back before practice began. Towards the end of the hallway, she could see two students - a guy and girl. As she got closer, she recognized the girl as Claudia. She was standing very close to a dark-haired muscular guy whom Rayla didn’t recognize. Without warning, Claudia suddenly leaned forward, threw her arms around the mysterious guy, and started making out with him.

Rayla stopped in her tracks. Claudia was … with another guy? After just agreeing to be Callum’s date for the Valentine’s Day dance?

“Oh no,” Rayla breathed.

Forgetting about her water bottle, she darted back towards the gym, not at all eager to stand around and witness the scene that had unfolded around her.

 _This is going to destroy Callum_ , Rayla realized.

She knew that she had to tell him. Without hesitation, Rayla whipped out her phone and shot Callum a text.

_We need to talk. Can i come by after practice?_

She plodded back into the gym. Seconds later, her phone vibrated.

_Everything ok?_

Rayla texted back a response.

_Im okay. Just gotta tell you something._

_Whats up?_

Rayla shook her head. This wasn’t the kind of news to break over text. She needed to talk to him in person.

_Not over text. You free later?_

_Sorry. Fam and I are going out to dinner. Idk when well be back. Talk tomorrow?_

Rayla groaned. Great. This was not the kind of news she wanted to sit on either. But she supposed she had no choice.

_Ok. first thing tomorrow. Before homeroom._

_You sure youre ok?_

She smiled in spite of herself. It was sweet of him to worry about her. But she wasn’t the one who was going to be hurt by this news.

_I promise im fine. Well talk tomorrow. Have fun at dinner._

_Ok. ttyl._

Rayla sighed heavily. Poor guy had no idea what he was in for.

\---

“So, what did you want to talk to me about Rayla?” Callum asked the following day. He found her at her locker, putting her books away.

“Oh, Callum …” Rayla sighed as she turned to face him. Despite having a whole evening to plan out what she would say, she suddenly couldn’t find the words. “I - I have some bad news.”

Callum’s brows knitted together in concern. “Rayla, you told me you were okay yesterday. What happened?”

“Relax. It’s not about me,” she reassured. She took a deep breath, deciding to just come out and say it. “Yesterday before practice, I saw Claudia in the hallway. She was … well, she was kissing another guy. I’m sorry, Callum.”

“Wait, what?” Callum blinked, confusion crossing his features.

“I went to get my water bottle before practice, and I saw them at the end of the hallway,” Rayla explained. She put a comforting hand on Callum’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Callum. I know you were excited about going with her to the dance, but … well, it looks like there’s another guy she’s into.”

“Wait, hang on,” Callum said, trying to put the pieces together, “You said you saw her and this guy at the end of the hallway.”

“Yeah.” She withdrew her hand from his shoulder awkwardly.

“How close were you to them?”

“Not … very,” Rayla said slowly, unsure of where this line of questioning was going, “Why?”

“It just doesn’t sound like Claudia at all,” Callum reasoned with a shrug, “I mean, I’ve known her since we were little. She just doesn’t go around kissing guys like that.”

“I know what I saw, Callum,” Rayla insisted.

“Are you sure?” He asked, his tone laced with skepticism, “It just doesn’t sound like something she’d do.”

Rayla felt her blood start to boil. “What? You don’t believe me?!” She snapped.

“Hey,” Callum put his hands up in a placating gesture, “I believe you _thought_ you saw it. But you said yourself that they were at the end of the hall. Couldn’t it have been some other girl?”

“No! It was her!” Rayla argued, now fully angry.

Callum sighed. “Look, Rayla, I just can’t -”

“You know what, fine!” Rayla slammed her locker door. “If you don’t want to believe me, don’t!” She pushed past him. “I need to get to homeroom.”

“Rayla, wait!”

She continued down the hall at a brisk pace, ignoring him as he called out to her. She could feel him start to follow her before the bell rang and the hallway filled with students rushing to get to class. Blinking back hot, angry tears, Rayla disappeared into the crowd and stalked off to homeroom.

\---

Rayla continued to make herself scarce for the rest of the day. She was angry and hurt that Callum wouldn’t believe her, so she decided to avoid him as much as she could. For the classes that they shared, Rayla arrived just before the second bell rang and sat as far away from Callum as she possibly could. When lunchtime rolled around, she opted to eat in one of the empty classrooms instead of the cafeteria. Fortunately, she didn’t have practice today, so when the last bell of the day rang, she hightailed it out of there as fast as she could.

She arrived home tired and miserable. As per usual, Ethari and Runaan were still at work, so she had the house to herself until they got home. Normally, she was grateful to have some time alone, but today, she really could use someone to vent to.

Instead, she flopped onto the couch and grabbed a pillow, which she screamed into. How could Callum not believe her? He was her best friend. Despite their differences, they always somehow managed to work things out. They always had each other’s backs. Why was he so set on trusting Claudia over her?

 _It’s not like she’s ever been there for him,_ Rayla thought bitterly. She was a bit surprised by the strength of her animosity toward Claudia, but quickly decided that it was warranted. What kind of person just goes around making out with random guys, when they already agreed to go out on a date with someone else? Especially when that someone else was Callum. He was kind, sweet, funny, cute …

Wait. Cute?

Rayla’s thoughts were interrupted with the buzzing of her phone. She pulled it out of her pants pocket and glanced at the caller ID. 

Callum.

Rayla rolled her eyes. She did not want to talk to him right now. She declined the call and placed her phone on the coffee table.

Merely a few seconds later, her phone started buzzing again. She groaned. He just couldn’t take a hint, could he? She picked up the phone and accepted the call.

“Callum, if you’re calling to continue arguing with me, I’m so not in the mood.”

The sniffle on the other end of the line caught her attention immediately.

“Callum?” Her tone instantly softened. “What’s wrong?”

There was a pause and another sniffle on the line, before he replied in a quiet voice. “You were right.”

“What?” Rayla sat up. She had not been expecting that.

“I - I couldn’t stop thinking about what you said, so I went and talked with Claudia after school. I asked if she was seeing someone else and, well … turns out she is.”

“Oh, Callum,” Rayla breathed, “I’m so sorry.”

She heard a few more sniffles on the line. “Sh - She’s been seeing this guy, Kasef, on and off for the past few months now. Apparently they got back together again as of yesterday afternoon, when you saw them - um…” Callum swallowed. “Anyway, when I had asked her to the dance, she agreed to go with me as a friend. She was just trying to be nice. She didn’t think that I actually … uh, that I liked her … like that. She doesn’t feel the same way.”

“Oof.” Rayla winced. Being friendzoned was probably the worst kind of rejection.

“She apologized,” Callum continued, “I guess I can’t even really be mad at her, since it was all a misunderstanding to begin with. I just wish I had known there was another guy in the picture, so I wouldn’t have gotten my h-hopes up.”

Callum’s voice wavered, and he let out a choked sob. Rayla felt her stomach twist. She hated hearing her friend sound so upset. He definitely didn’t deserve to be hurt in this way.

“That really sucks. I’m so sorry, Cal-”

“No, I’m sorry!” He interrupted, “I should’ve trusted you from the beginning, Rayla.”

Rayla sighed, running her hands through her strands of blonde hair. She had been wanting him to admit this all day, but now she just couldn’t find it in herself to gloat. “Well, maybe, yeah. But I get why you didn’t. You were so excited that she said yes. You didn’t want to believe that she was with someone else.”

“Yeah, but you’re my best friend. And I’m sorry I didn’t -”

“Stop apologizing, Callum,” Rayla interjected, gentle but insistent. “I’m not upset anymore, okay? I know why you didn’t believe me. It’s tough news to hear about someone who you thought cared about you in that way.”

“Okay,” Callum said with a sniff, “Thanks Rayla.”

She took a deep breath. There was still more she needed to say to him.

“Look, if anyone needs to apologize, it’s me,” Rayla said.

“You?” Callum asked, confusion evident in his voice.

“Yeah, me. I treated you pretty bad today, Callum. I’m sorry for giving you the silent treatment all day.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Callum dismissed, “You were upset.”

“That doesn’t make it right,” Rayla pointed out. “So, I’m sorry. Forgive me?”

“Of course!” Callum replied without hesitation.

“Thanks.” Rayla smiled gratefully.

She heard Callum clear his throat on the other end of the line. “So … since my lame-o plans for Valentine’s Day have officially cleared up, think you can reserve a place for me at your chick flick watch party?” He asked hopefully.

“Hmmm, I’ll have to consult the seating chart,” Rayla responded cheekily, “But I think I can squeeze you in.”

“I’ll bring the popcorn,” Callum offered.

“Deal.”

\---

“So let me see if I can guess the plot of this one,” Callum said, mouth full of popcorn, “The big city girl is tired of her stressful, busy life, so she takes a trip to the country and falls in love with the simple farmer guy, who teaches her the value of small-town living.”

“Actually, you’re way off,” Rayla replied with a smirk. She gestured towards the television. “This is the one with the big city _guy_ who travels to the country and falls in love with the simple farmer _girl_ , and she teaches _him_ the value of small-town living.”

“Ah,” Callum quipped, “Completely different then.”

“Totally.”

The two descended into peals of laughter as the opening credits rolled on the third cheesy romance film of the afternoon. Rayla had to admit, her chick flick marathon was definitely more fun with Callum joining in.

She pointed at his glass. “Need a refill?” She asked.

“Yes, please,” Callum said, handing it to her. She pattered into the conjoined kitchen and dug the soda out of the fridge.

“Hey,” he called out to her, “I don’t think I’ve said it yet, but thanks for letting me crash your watch party.”

“No problem!” Rayla called back, topping off his drink. “Enjoying yourself?”

“Actually, yeah,” Callum admitted, as Rayla rejoined him. She placed his refilled drink back down on the coffee table and he nodded his thanks. “You were right. This is so much more fun than some lame high school dance.”

“Told ya,” She chirped, “Rayla knows best.”

“Uh-huh,” Callum snarked, “Don’t let it go to your head though.”

She laughed and took a sip of her drink. A companionable silence fell between them for a few moments, before she spoke up again.

“You’re sure you’re having fun?” she asked, “You wouldn’t rather be at the dance?”

“Nah,” Callum replied decisively, “I’ve been thinking about it a lot actually. If I had gone to the dance with Claudia, I would’ve been a nervous wreck. I’d be so scared that I’d accidentally mess up or say something dumb that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy myself.”

Rayla nodded. “I guess that makes sense.”

“Exactly,” Callum agreed, “But I don’t have to worry about all that with you. We can just chill and act stupid together. It’s nice.” His eyes met Rayla’s and he smiled warmly at her. “I’m so glad that I’m spending the day with you instead.”

Rayla felt her cheeks grow hot. She glanced away nervously and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Oh, um - well, thanks,” She murmured. “I’m glad I’m spending the day with you too.”

“Good!” Callum beamed. He turned his attention back to the movie, oblivious to the pink blush that was now spreading down to Rayla’s neck.

As the film continued, Callum shifted on the couch, trying to get comfortable. Unfortunately, this particular movie was a lot more dull than the rest, and there weren’t as many opportunities to make jokes. After a prolonged period of silence, Rayla glanced over at her friend and, to her bemusement, she found him slumped over, asleep in his seat.

Smiling, Rayla watched as Callum’s chest rose and fell rhythmically. His lips were parted slightly and she could hear each of his soft, slumbering breaths. The gentle puffs of air from his mouth ruffled his messy brown locks oh-so-slightly. She paused, studying his hair. Rayla never realized how soft it looked. She briefly wondered what it would feel like to run her hands through it. Or how nice it might be to cuddle up next to him and drift off to sleep herself.

Rayla shook herself. What was wrong with her? Why was she looking at her best friend this way? She was acting like someone who had a crush on -

Oh.

_Oh._

She was in love with her best friend.

Rayla’s head spun. When had this happened? How had this happened? She wasn’t even sure she knew the answers. But it was an absolute, undeniable fact that she had fallen in love with Callum. The realization had shaken her.

The teenage boy in question suddenly stirred, interrupting Rayla’s thoughts. He shifted his head and shoulders, letting out a contented sigh. His eyelids twitched ever so slightly but didn’t open. He finally ceased movement altogether, aside from his chest which continued to rise and fall and he napped. An unguarded smile crept over Rayla’s face at the sight of him.

Yup, she was in trouble.

\--- One Year Later ---

It was just after ninth period when she saw it. She had just emerged from chemistry lab, when there it was. Staring her right in the face. Taunting her.

It was the poster for the upcoming Valentine’s Day dance.

Rayla made a face. It was bad enough that she had been secretly harboring a crush on her best friend. But now she had to be reminded of the event that had started it all.

The crazy thing was … Rayla almost thought that Callum might possibly, actually … like her back. Maybe.

Or maybe it was just wishful thinking.

Either way, it was enough to make her consider asking him out officially. Maybe, if he felt the same way, they could go on an actual date. Like to the movies. Or maybe the zoo.

Or maybe the Valentine’s Day dance.

“There you are, Rayla!”

Rayla jumped. She turned and saw Callum making his way through the busy hallway towards her. 

“Callum!” She exclaimed, a bit too loudly. She hustled towards him, trying very hard to act nonchalant. Like she hadn’t been staring at the Valentine’s Day poster for the last minute and a half.

“I was looking for you at your locker, but you weren’t there.”

Rayla blushed. “Oh, uh, that was just -” She tried to think of an explanation that wouldn’t sound dumb.

Callum continued, paying no mind to her awkwardness. “I was just thinking, are we gonna do our Valentine’s Day sappy movie marathon this year? You know, like we did last year?”

“Oh!” Rayla was surprised. He wanted to watch the dumb chick flicks again this year? So he clearly wasn’t planning on asking anyone to the dance. 

That could be good news, she supposed.

Callum kept talking. “Because Ezran and I stumbled across this really cheesy one while flipping through channels a few days ago. I have to show it to you. I was thinking maybe it would play again on Valentine’s Day, but if not, we could totally just rent it or stream it from somewhere.”

“Uh, yeah. I guess we could. Um…” Rayla’s gaze flicked back over to the Valentine’s Day poster on the wall to the side of her. As great as the movie marathon sounded, part of her had wondered what it would be like to ask Callum to the dance. To get all dressed up and do something vaguely couple-y together. Maybe even get a chance to slow dance.

If she could work up the nerve, that is.

“What - oh!” Callum’s eyes followed Rayla’s, and he caught her looking at the poster. “Oh,” he murmured, a hint of disappointment in his voice, “Did you want to go?” His head nodded in the direction of the sign.

Rayla gulped. She wasn’t entirely sure how to answer that question.

“Were you … thinking of asking someone?” He asked.

She shrugged noncommittally, trying very hard not to give anything away. “Umm, I don’t know. Maybe.”

Callum’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “Maybe?”

Rayla sighed, shoulders sagging. She stared down at the floor. “I mean, I’ve thought about it,” she admitted. “There’s, um … someone I want to ask, but … I don’t really know if he’ll say yes.”

“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t he say yes?”

“Huh?” Rayla glanced up at Callum. There were significantly fewer students in the hallway now, and their conversation was starting to feel a lot more private. “Oh, well, I dunno,” She stared down at the white linoleum floor, cheeks growing red. “I guess I just don’t know if that’d be something he’d even be interested in. Or if I would even be someone he’d want to go with.”

Callum scoffed. “Pfft! Who wouldn’t want to go with you, Rayla?” He reached for her shoulder and she looked up, her lilac eyes meeting his deep green. “You’re a ton of fun! Probably the most fun person in this whole school. And you’re a pretty good dancer too. Any guy would be lucky to go with you.”

“Really?” Rayla asked, her voice barely above a whisper. There were barely any students in the hallway now. And those that were still there had faded from view. All she could see was Callum’s soft smile and his expressive, captivating eyes. She instinctively leaned in closer.

“Absolutely,” Callum said, his voice growing quiet and tender, “You’re athletic and smart and funny and really, really pretty. I count myself lucky to know you, let alone be your best friend.” He paused, his hand trailing down her shoulder until it found hers. He took it gently and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Rayla, you’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”

Rayla stared at him, dumbfounded. Was he saying -? He _was_ , wasn’t he? He really, truly felt the same way? She couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face as she leaned in even closer. Her eyes flicked briefly down to his lips, and, acting on pure instinct, she closed the distance between them with a gentle kiss.

As their lips met, she felt him tense up. She pulled away and, to her surprise, found him staring at her with wide eyes. 

Rayla recoiled in horror. 

_Oh no_. What had she just done?

“Wha - I … Rayla?” He stammered, continuing to stare at her while he lifted his fingers to his lips, “I, um … wow, I didn’t… um, I mean, I -”

Oh no.

Rayla gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “Oh God. Oh no. Callum, I didn’t mean -” Her heart hammered in her chest and her face grew hot. God, she was so embarrassed.

“Look, let’s just pretend this didn’t happen!” She blurted out, “All right. Okay? We won’t speak about this again.” She pushed past him, averting her eyes from his stare. “I have to go.”

“Wait, Rayla!” Callum reached for her as she continued down the hall at her brisk pace.

“Nope! We’re done here.” She called over her shoulder.

“Rayla, wait! Please!” He followed after her.

“Drop it, Callum!” She hissed. Her power walk had turned into a quick jog as she tried to get away from him.

“Rayla, please!” Callum cried, “Don’t run away! Don’t do this to me again!”

Rayla stopped in her tracks. His words instantly reminded her of a similar scene from about a year ago.

She sighed, dropping her shoulders. She could feel him come up from behind her slowly, but she refused to look back at him.

“Rayla.” He put a reassuring hand on her back. “It’s okay.”

She jerked away. “No, it’s not. It was embarrassing! I want to forget it!”

“But what if I don’t?” He asked softly.

She turned, mouth hanging open in surprise. “What?”

“It … it was nice,” he admitted, “I was just … surprised. That’s all.”

Rayla studied his face. His smile was genuine, and his cheeks were growing pink.

“Rayla, be honest. Was I the one you wanted to ask to the dance?”

She sighed. "Well, I thought about it ..."

"I did too," he admitted.

"What? Really?" She couldn't believe her ears.

"Of course," he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "I thought it would be nice to go with you this year. But I didn't know if you'd be into it. Especially since you told me last year that you thought it was lame." He laughed.

Rayla groaned, covering her face in her hands. Ugh, of course he remembered _that_. She removed her hands and glanced up at him sheepishly.

"Well, I don't think it's _completely_ lame," she conceeded, "Not if you go with the right person." She began to smile at him, but her mind instantly flashed back to the awkward kiss just a few moments earlier. She squeezed her eyes shut. "But then I had to make it weird. So ... why don't we just forget -"

"No!" Callum interrupted, a bit too forcefully. Rayla blinked at him. "Um, I mean, no." He reached for Rayla's hand again, and her heart skipped a beat. "Look, Rayla. I didn't just want to ask you because you're my friend and I thought it would be fun. I wanted to ask you, because, well ..." He stepped closer, his face only inches from hers once again. "Because I like you. Like that. Like ... more than friends."

And now Rayla's heart had stopped beating altogether.

"R-Really?" She breathed.

"Yeah. I just didn't know you felt the same way." Callum's intense green eyes were locked on hers, and he was wearing a smile that she had never seen before. "Now I do."

He leaned in, closing the distance between them once again. Rayla's surprise was brief, and it melted away as she sank into his lips. Their kiss was slow, soft, and reassuring. Very different from the one they had a few moments ago. This one was the real deal.

He pulled away a bit too soon for her liking. Her eyes met his and she was surprised to see a bit of hesitancy on his face. Her brow furrowed. Was something wrong?

"That ... that was okay, right?" Callum asked, "I'm sorry. I guess I got a bit carried away, and ..."

She rolled her eyes at his blabbering. What a dummy he was.

Her dummy.

She crashed her lips to his in response, letting him know in no uncertain terms that, yes, this was all very much okay.

"Wow," he whispered when they finally pulled away, resting their foreheads against one another. She smiled back at him, drinking in his lovestruck expression. Her heart, which had felt like it had been doing sommersaults, had finally slowed back down to it's steady beating.

They stood like this in the middle of their school hallway for what seemed like an eternity before Rayla spoke.

"So," she said with a smirk, "I guess this means you'll be my date for the Valentine's Day dance?"

Callum chuckled. "I will under one condition - that we still do our silly chick-flick marathon the day after."

Rayla quirked her eyebrow. "Really? You still want to do that?"

"Heck yeah, I do!" He enthused. "It's our thing, after all."

"Fine." Rayla smiled and gave him a playful shove. "As long as you bring the popcorn."

He gave her a quick peck on the lips in response.

"Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Behold - here is my offering for Rayllum Valentine Week! (Although, at the rate I'm writing these, it'll be more like Rayllum Valentine Month.)
> 
> For this first oneshot, I originally wanted to do something in-universe. But since we don't know if Valentine's Day exists in TDP, I figured I'd need to create an equivalent holiday and explain the origins. Which ended up being way more complicated than I initially envisioned.
> 
> So I took a step back and decided that a high school AU would be way more fun instead. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I'll be working on the rest of the prompts over the next few days and they'll get uploaded whenever they're finished. Which hopefully won't be too long, but who knows.
> 
> Special thanks to blutopaz15 on Tumblr for her encouragement. Go check out her fics, if you haven't already!


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